Door-latch mechanism



Feb. 1o, 1931. c. B. LOWE 1,791,872

DOOR LATCH MECHANISM Filed lvxarchll, 1929 2 sheets-sheet .1

INVENTOR AT'I'ORNEYnSr Feb. l0, 1931. C. B LQW DOOR LATCH MECHANISM Filed March l1, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY-S' An`Figure construction, I h

ments ofy parts that will'be hereinafter more' Patented Feb. 10, 41931 UNITED s'rATlzfsA PATENT goir-Piola j CHARLES B. `Lownor` DETROIT, MronrGAn, lAssrernoRgToFERRO sTAMrrNG amro.

COMPANY, or DETROIT, MICHIGAN,- A CORPORATION or MICHIGAN DOoR-LATH MnoHANIsivr .l

Appncanon'rnea naar 11, 1.929. sum1 No. 346,162.

This invention relates to v'door latch Ymechanisms, Vprimarily'designed for use in'jcon nection withdoorsof vehicle bodies and the like and consists of 'certain n'ovel'features of `combinations [and arrangefully described andiparticularly pointed out inf-the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, j

1 `is a fragmentary side elevation Ofra door latch mechanism embodying myinvention; l l y Figure 2' isa view similar to Figure 1' but showing the bolt retracted from the inner sideV of thefdoor; j 1 Figure 3 is a rear elevation of the construction shownin Figure 1; -v Figurej 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken on Y the line 4f4 of Figure 1;

Figure `5" is a vertical sectional view taken.`

on the line 5-f'5 of Figure 1. Y

`Referring nowto the drawings, 1 l-sa case plate adapted to be secured to the innerlrside ofadoor having a'lateral flange 2 at its forward edge adaptedto be secured tothe free edge of the door, 3 isav reciprocating. latch b' lt that s movable through an opening in the lateral flange 2 for engagement with a suitablekeeper (not shown). 4 is a latch bolt shank rigidly secured to and constituting a'rearward extension of said bolt 3, and 5 is a helicalspring anchored on thexcase plate and havin@ an arm 6 engaging a lateral flange 7 of the shank and normally retaining the.

bolt-3 in projected position. i. c

'In the resent instance the shank`4 is adapted .to sli ef over but is spaced from the case plate 1. Preferably, a portion 8 ofthe c ase plate is pressed out and serves as a bearing for the shank at the rear end thereof and carries astud 9 that is 'received in an selon` gated slot 10 in the shank` and guides the same in its sliding movements. Intermediate'of its 'ends'the shank `4 is provided with ank upwardly opening slot 11having anupwardly and rearwardly inclined edge 12 that is engaged by a roller 13 on alpin 14 project` p ing laterally from a reciprocating actuator 15 on the case plate 1. vAs shown this actuator '15 is slid'able 'between the case plate'l and shank -4 in a plane at substantially-right angles t'o the shankand is guided in its inove7` ments' by suitable studs 16 and 17 respectively. Preferably the stud 16 projects laterally from the oase plate land isreceived in an elongatedfslotlS in the 'actuator while the st-ud 17 projects laterally from the actuator Aand travels in a keyhole slot v20 in the case plate i1. l f 1 n For retracting the bolt 3 I have provided a roll back 21`that is adaptedto be spaced from the outer side of the door, and'a rotatable rod 22 that is adapted to be operated'from the inner side of the door. As shown, the roll back 21 has a hub 23 'journaled inthe case plate'l adjacent to the lateralfiange 2 and hasa lateral arm 24 that is engageable with a lateral arm`25 of the actuator at the upper end thereof to eect a yretraction of the bolt 3 whilethe rod 22 is journaled in Abrackets 26 and 27 on the case platebelowvthe shank 4 and in substantially parallel relation thereto and is provided intermediatethe brackets 26 and 27 'with a crank portion 28 that is engageablewith upwardly and outwardly inclinedinner edges 29 and 30`res`pectively of the shank, the said spring 5 not onlyserves to normally hold the bolt 3 in projected position but also serves through the cam engagement of the inclined edge 12 with the roller 13 t0 normally hold the actuator 15 in raised posi-V tion with the lateral arm 25 thereof against the roll back arm 24. I In fact, the pressure of the spring V5 exerted through the parts just mentioned Vto the roll back 21 causes the said roll back to be normally held in upright position against the lateral flange 2 of the case plate and therebyinsures the outside operating handle (not shown) for the roll back to be normally held in a proper predetermined pos1tion.- y c' f Y Any suitable means such as'the coilspring 33 maybe used to normally hold ythe rod 22 in operative bolt retracting position. As shown, this spring 33 is sleeved on the rod 22 and has its opposite ends respectively connected to said rod 22 and overlapping the case plate 1. kIt will also be noted that a ring 34 is non-rotatively secured upon this rod 22 and is received in a slot 35 in the bracket 27 so as to prevent longitudinal movement of the rod 22 relative to the brackets 26 and 27 and of the case plate. vAny suitable operatingmeans or handle (not'shown) may be used upon the inner side of the door to rotate the rod 22 to effect a retraction of the bolt. Y

Thus, with this construction, the bolt 3 may be retracted from the outer sideV of thedoor by rotating the rollback 21 clockwise to cause the arm 24 thereof to depress the actuator 15 and thereby cause the cam engagement between the roller 13 andinclined edge 12 of the yoke to become active and move the shank and bolt rearwardly against the tension of the spring 5. In this connection itV will be noted that when the actuator is pressed down by the rollback 21v the lugsl 31 and 32 on the actuator will move downwardly therewith and away from the crank 28 of the rod 22 so that the retraction of the bolt from the outer side of the door willnot'eHect the inner bolt retracting means. Likewise the bolt 3 may be retracted from theY inner side ofthe door by merely rotating 'the rod 22 to cause the crank28 thereof to ride upon the inclined edges 29 and 30 of the lugs 31 and 32 and" downwardly so.`

thereby press the actuator 15 as to cause the cam engagement between the rollerV 13 and incl-ined edge 12 of theshank to become active lto move the shank and bolt rearwardly against the tension or" the spring /Ioreover,since the arm 25 of the actuator l5 is moved away from the rollback arm 24 whenv the actuator is moved by the insideV bolt retreating means, the outside bolt retract-- ing means including the roll back 21 will not be eiiected when the bolt 3 is retracted from the inside. Thus the inside and outside bolt retract-ing means are independently operable to effect the retraction of the bolt. Any suitable means such as the dog /iO'pivoted on the case plate 1 may be yactuated bv a handle 41 on the inner side of the. door to en! gage a. shoulder 472 of the roll back to render the outside bolt retracting means inoperative to retract the bolt. f i

vVhile it is believed that from the foregoing description the nature and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent, I desire Y to have. it understood that I do not limit myself to'what is herein shown and described and that such chang-es may be resorted to when desired as fall withln the scope of what Y is claimed.

vWhat I claim asmy invention iszn f 1. In a door latch, a latch bolt having a shank, an actuator for the bolt including a y crossing the shank Vtively above and below said the actuator.

3. In a door latch, a latch bolt having a horizontally ydisposed shank, and actuating means for the bolt includingan actuator and movable longitudinally insubstantially a vertical plane, a part carried by the actuator engageablegwith the shank, projections upon the actuator above and below theshank, and independently operable members respectively engageable with said projections.

4. In a door latch, a movable latch bolt shank, aV member crossing the shank and operatively connected thereto to actuate the same, a member substantially paralleltov the shank and operatively connected to theV last mentioned member to actuate the same, and means for detachably maintaining the operative connection between said members including a yieldable element engagingv the shank. l i

-5. ,In a door latch, a latch bolt, having a horizontally disposed shank, and independentlyop'erable including two members respectively above and below the shank, one of said members beinglsubstantiall, parallelto the shank, and vertically slida lemeans common to both nemlbers and operatively associated with said s an 6.--'In a door latch, a latch bolt having a horizontally disposed shank, a vertically dis-y posed actuator forthe shank, and independentlyoperable members respectively above and below the shank and moving saidactuator. Y

7. In a door latch,a latch bolt havinga horizontally disposed shank, Aand actuating means for the-bolt including a vertically movable actuator crossing and operatively connected to the shank, amember engageable with the actuator at'one end thereof, and an independentlyk operable member crossing and engageable with the actuator at the other end thereof.

8. In a door latch, a latch bolt having a sliding shank, andactuating means for said bolt including two independently operable pivotally mounted members located respecshank, al reciprocating member crossing'said shank and actuable by said pivotally mounted members, and

means for actuating'said bolt LEO bolt including two a part projecting from the reciprocating member and engageable with said shank.

9. In a door latch, a latch bolt having a sliding shank, and actuating means for said independently operable members located respectively above and below said shank, a sliding member crossing said shank and actuable by said independently operable members, and an element carried by said slidable member and engageable with said shank. l

In testimony whereof I ailx my Si nature. CHARLES B. LWE. 

